A Ghastly Problem
by SuperSequinGirl
Summary: When an old foe comes back to (quite literally) haunt Flint Lockwood and company, they must band together to save Flint from...HIMSELF?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Flint Lockwood bustled around his new lab in Sparkswood, fully absorbed in his latest project. Steve, who had knocked a large bucket over and was now running from it, screamed, "Help!".

"Yes, Steve, you are helping. But now I'm almost done…"

Flint continued to work on the seemingly useless pile of metal in front of him, completed engulfed in his thoughts. Though what he didn't realize, and what Steve was too preoccupied to notice, was the gray, humanoid mist creeping behind Flint…

Sam was walking along the plant-lined pathway towards the large, metal building standing in the forest of Swallow Falls. She was wondering what Flint was up to today, since he was almost constantly building new machines in the new lab. It had only been a few months since the Chester V. incident but their lives were just returning to normal. Well, as normal as you get on an island filled with creatures made of food. As she rose in the new elevator up to the lab portion of the building, her anticipation did as well.

"Hey, Flint! I'm back from surveying the island. Where are you?". Sam walked through the door of the lab to see Steve running from a bucket twice his size and Flint laying on the floor, unconscious. "Flint!", she gasped as she ran to his side, "Flint. Flint can you hear me?!".

Flint responded with a groan as his eyes fluttered open. "Sam? What happened?".

"I don't know.", she said while helping him up, "I just saw you on the floor and freaked.".

"I don't know either. One minute I'm working on my newest machine, and the next minute everything just goes black."

"Scared!", Steve said out of nowhere. He had escaped the bucket but was now cowering under a table at the far end of the lab.

"Steve? What's wrong, buddy?". Flint approached the monkey but the Capuchin shied away from the inventor.

"Scared!", he repeated, running from Flint and into Sam's arms instead. Flint was shocked, to say the least. His partner had never acted like this before.

"Steve, is everything okay?", Sam asked while comforting the monkey in her arms.

"Danger!", he responded, pointing at Flint.

"What? Flint isn't dangerous!".

"Steve! Scared! Flint! Danger!". Steve repeated in quick succession and sprinted out of the room. Flint stood in a daze. What was Steve talking about? Why would he be so scared he ran away?

"What was _that _all about?", said Sam, hearing his thoughts like always.

"I don't know. He's never acted like this before.". A few moments later, Sam's attention turned to the lump of scrap metal on the table that Flint was working at.

"What's that, Flint?", she asked.

"That is my latest invention. The _Flint Lockwood Super Revealinator_!", the inventor replied in a dramatic tone.

"What's it do?".

"When it's finished, it will reveal anything that's hidden or lost, so you won't have to waste time looking for a matching sock, or your car keys, or a favorite stuffed animal, or…". Flint spent a few more minutes naming things people often lost before the door burst open yet again. This time Earl, Brent, and Tim came rushing through, Steve on Earl's shoulder.

"What's the trouble, son?", Tim asked worriedly, "Steve came running towards us shouting, 'Flint! Danger!' over and over again."

"Dad, Steve thinks I'm dangerous, and he's acting like he's _scared _of me and we don't know why."

"Well, you were laying on the floor out cold…", Sam said, "Maybe that has something to with this.". Suddenly, Barb came in the room.

"What's going on? I could here you all the way down in Research.", she exclaimed, a look of annoyance on her face.

"We're trying to figure out why Steve is scared of Flint.", Sam replied. Barb looked over to the inventor and her face twisted from annoyed to downright terrified.

"I don't know what it is, but Steve is right. There's just something off about you Flint.".


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"WHAT!?", Flint nearly yelled, "How is that possible?! There is NOTHING WRONG!". Sam and the others were starting to see what the primates were talking about. Flint wasn't acting like himself. He was absolutely livid, and no one was sure why.

"Okay.", Flint took a deep breath to calm himself down, "No idea where that came from but I have an idea!". He turned to the pile of metal on the table and picked it up.

"The Flint Lockwood Super Revealinator can show what's hidden, so maybe we can see what Barb and Steve are scared of."

"That's actually a good idea, Flint.", Brent said, trying to mask his fright from said inventor's outburst. Flint didn't make a sound as he tinkered with the controls on the machine, which normally wasn't the case. He was always was humming his personal theme song or talking to himself.

"Okay, Sam. Just point this end at me and press that button when I say so.", he said handing her the machine. Sam did as she was instructed and the machine responded with beeping and whirring noises as it scanned Flint for anything they couldn't see. The machine started shaking and sparking violently after a few seconds. The small screen was glitching like crazy and the noises it made became louder and louder with each passing moment. Suddenly it just fell apart in Sam's hands.

"Wow... It must be something really hidden or really bad.", Tim said slowly, glancing at his son who had his back to them. Though no one could see it, Flint's eyes shifted from their normal blue to green and back again.

Flint wasn't acting like himself, that much was clear. Everyone was beginning to see why Barb and Steve were afraid of him.

He would lash out at the smallest things and blame his own mishaps on anyone who was in the same room. Sometimes he would be completely normal and have no recollection of being that angry. Once, when they were getting supplies for the lab, Flint had spent hours looking for an item and freaked when he didn't find it. It was the strangest thing any of them had ever experienced… and that's saying something.

"Flint? Are you here?", Sam asked hesitantly as she stepped into the lab, "Where are you?".

"Oh. Hey, Sam.". Normal Flint, this time. "What did you need?".

"I was just checking up on you. You… haven't exactly been yourself this past week.".

Flint chuckled, "What do y-". Realization crossed his face. "Oh… that…Sam, listen, I am truly sorry. I have no idea what's happening to me and I'm trying to find a way to stop it, but…".

"No such luck? Don't worry Flint. We'll find out what's happening.", Sam took Flint's hands in hers as she spoke. His expression softened and a smile slid onto his face.

"Wait!", he said suddenly, "I have something for you!". He took a black piece of cloth out of his pocket and gently tied it around Sam's eyes. Flint's eyes however, shone green as he led his girlfriend out of the lab…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A few hours after Flint covered her eyes, Sam found herself tied to a chair and the blindfold harshly torn off her face.

"Hello, Samantha.". Sam looked up at her captor. It was Flint, but he was… different. His voice was deeper and he _never _called her 'Samantha'. "I bet you're wondering why you're in this peculiar situation. Well… allow me to explain.", he said, with the fakest smile plastered on his face as he brushed a few strands of hair off of her forehead.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you're _not _my boyfriend".

"I think we both can agree on that. I am not young Lockwood…". Fear spread quickly across Sam's face.

"Chester V.? B-but… you're dead!", she shouted, terror clear in her voice.

"Exactly…", Chester growled, stepping over to shelf to the left of them, "I came back as an apparition, a ghost if you will, all because of you and Lockwood and those abominable food creatures!". Sam saw Chester/Flint's eyes turn bright green when he turned back around with something silver in his hands.

"In all my years of science, I never thought it would come to this, Samantha.". He came closer and she saw the large blade in his hands. "And even though I never _dreamed _I would see the world though Lockwood's eyes, the best part of this is that Flint is seeing every moment of this endeavor and he is powerless to stop it!".

The knife plunged towards her chest… so fast she couldn't scream. But that's the thing… she doesn't… Because the blade doesn't touch her. Sam looks at Flint/Chester and is surprised. The knife is just half an inch from her torso and his entire body is shaking and rigid. She can see the fear in his eyes as he looks at the blade in his hand and how close he came to ending her.

"Flint?", she asked.

"Yeah, Sam. It's me.". Flint threw the knife to the other side of the small room and began to untie Sam. Suddenly, Flint gasped in pain and fell back, holding his head.

"FLINT!", Sam screamed from the chair, for Flint didn't fully untie her yet. His eyes switched back and forth as if Flint and Chester were both fighting for control. Finally he stood and walked towards the blade lying on the floor. Sam saw her chance and twisted in the ropes, hoping against hope they would come loose. As Chester/Flint came closer with the blade in his hands, Sam struggled more and more with each of his steps. Just as she felt them loosen enough to break free they fell apart completely. _Flint _cut them. He spoke in a low voice and was trembling worse than ever.

"_Run…"_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam ducked and dodged around the room, narrowly missing the blade many times. Chester kept advancing, getting faster and faster. Sam tried to help Flint anyway she could, even if that only amounted to shouting words of encouragement and not getting killed.

_The others must have noticed we're missing by now. They'll be here any minute… _

Right on cue, the entire room began to shake, sending dust from the ceiling as something rammed the metal door. As Sam focused on the door, Chester saw his chance and reared back to strike. But a sparking, white light incinerated the door and a copper-colored net knocked Chester off balance throwing him to the floor. Earl, Tim, Brent, Barb, and Steve came rushing in, Earl immediately seizing Chester/Flint by the arms and holding them behind his back.

"Argh! Release me, you ignorant beast! You have no idea what you're dealing with!", Chester screamed, squirming wildly in the net.

"Son, you need to calm down and tell us what's happening.", Tim replied.

"Mr. Lockwood. That's not Flint.". Sam walked over and stood in front of Chester.

"Unfortunately for you, she's right. I'm not young Lockwood and I would've killed you quicker had he not put up such a fight…", Chester said breathlessly, no longer twitching in his captivity.

Sam caught a glance at the knife on the ground (It was knocked out of Chester's hand when he was subdued). It wasn't just a normal kitchen knife like she previously thought. It's handle had a bronze-like hue with small, blood red rubies embedded into it. The blade itself was sliver, but it was slightly curved and sharper than a normal knife.

"That isn't a regular knife you know…", Chester said catching their attention, "That is the very instrument that would've brought me back to life."

"How so?", Sam asked.

"Had I killed you with it, my body would've been restored and Lockwood could've been freed… And by freed, I mean his body would becom mine and his soul wouldn't be inside…"

"Um…"

"Don't look at me like the idiot you are, Tim… You can't get me to leave and your son's far too weak to-". Flint's eyes flickered again, this time staying blue. "I-I'm sorry, S-sam…" was all he managed to say before his eyes began to glow.

A dark cloud flew from his mouth and landed in the corner of the room. Flint was shaking again, almost like he was more cold than anything, but he seemed fine. The cloud began to speak in a deep, glitching voice.

"IMPOSSIBLE!", it screamed, "YOU WEREN'T MEANT TO BREAK FREE!". Suddenly, the cloud started to flash with orange light. "NO! NOOOOO!"

_**And just like that… it was gone…**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Flint? Are you alright?", Sam asked, choosing her words carefully.

"Did I hurt anyone?", he replied, his shaking hands reaching to grasp hers.

"No."

"Then I'm fine…"

"Well, let's get you home."

_After a few weeks, and constant surveillence, Flint returned to his normal, rambunctious self. No doubt the event left some scars, but so did the FLDSMFR incident._

_They never saw any signs of Chester again though they were always kept an eye out!_

**_Sorry this is so short but I have to have a happy ending! Pls review with any tips or ideas you're okay to share!_**


End file.
